Ernest u



- UNITED STATES:

'PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST U. KINSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LATCH FOR BOXES, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,574, dated March21, 1899.

Application led October 31, 1898. Serial No. 694,993. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST U.'K1NsEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Latches for Cabinets, Boxes, &c., of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention :relates to latches for cabinets, boxes, trunks, satchels,85o., and espe cially7 to cabinets for holding phonograph cylinders orrecords, in connection with which my improvement holds the lid in afixed relation to the body of the cabinet to prevent the endwisemovement of the records, which movement is injurious to theirpreservation. The device also holds the lid of a bQx, trunk, or othersimilar article in a tixed relation to the body, so as to prevent themovement of the one in relation to the other.

In carrying out my invention I provide a case having front, back, andedge plates, within which are pivoted tumblers of peculiar form, anda'spring-actuated bolt for engaging and holding the tumblers in a fixedposition. This case is connected to one part of the cabinet or box, andsecured to the other part is a latch-bar adapted to pass between andengage the tumblers. The pivoted tumblers are each made with a shoulderat one end'and with a hook 'at the other end, and the tumblers areplaced so that said should ers and the hooks are in opposition and movein opposite directions toward or from one another. When the latch-bar isin engagement with the tumblers, the bolt is also in engagement with thetumblers to prevent motion and. the withdrawal of the latch-bar, andwhen the bolt is moved endwise by fingerpressure upon a knob connectedtherewith vor otherwise the latch-barv ismoved away from the tumblersand in said movement sets the tumblers ready for rengaging the edgenotches of the latch-bar, and the released bolt is returned by thespring and holds the tumblers in a fixed position rcadyfor engagmentwith the latch-bar.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation representing my improvementwith the parts vin engagement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same,and Fig. 3 is an elevation representing the parts separated.

y The latch-bar is represented at a. It has notches with inclined baseson its opposite edges and is connected to one part, either the lid orthebody of a cabinet, box, trunk, satcliel, or similar article.

o b represent the pivoted tumblers, each made with a shoulder 2 at oneend and a hook 3 at the other end. These tumblers are oppositely placed,so that the shoulders and the hooks are in opposite positions.

The pivots -l of the tumblers pass through or are secured to the frontand back plates 4 ,5 of a case, the said case also having sides 6 andends 7 and being of anydesired coniiguration and adapted to be fastenedeither' to the outer or inner face of one part of a cabinet, box, trunk,Satchel, &c., in any desired manner. Y

The bolt c is betweenthe case sides 6 and is movable longitudinally ofthe case. The spring d is a helix bent into U form within the case. Ihave adopted this form as insuring the greatest elasticity in a confinedspace; but any form of spring may be employed.

The knob c has a stem passing through a mortise in the front or surfaceplate, and it is connected to the bolt, so that finger-pressure upon theknob will move the bolt against the action of the spring and away fromthe tumblers. This bolt is received between the shoulders of thetumblers when the parts are in the position Fig. l.

If the latch mechanism is connected upon the inner surface of the box orcabinet, the ste'rn of the knob will extend through the body of the sameand the knob be outside, or the case may be made so as to connect theknob upon either side.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the operation of the parts is as follows:'Finger-pressure upon the knob c against the action of the spring dmoves the bolt c away from the tumblers, relieving the tumblers andpermitting the latch-bar a to be Withdrawn from the case,

the withdrawal of the latch-bar causing its inclines to act against'thehooks and swing the tumblers b h apart on their pivots and leave them inthe position Fig. 3, with the back edges resting against the case, andthe release by the nger o f the bolt permits -the spring to press thesame against the ends of IOO the tumblers to hold them in the positionshown in Fig. 3 ready for the rentrance of the latch-bar. When thecabinet, box, or similar article is closed, the latch-bar again entersthe case and comes in contact with the curved surfaces of the tumblersZ) b, compelling them to swing on their pivots and in the motion ofswinging to bring the hooked ends into engagement with the edge notchesof the latch-bar and simultaneously to slide the opposite ends oi theface of the bolt, so that the same is projected bythe action of thespring into engagement with the shouldered ends of the tumblers, theparts assuming the position shown in Fig. 1, where the latch-bar issecurely held in place, the respective parts being of such coincidingconfiguration that a movement of the latch-bar is prevented.

Vith my improvement the mechanism contained in the case may be connectedto either part of a cabinet, box, or similar article, the latch-barbeing connected to the other part, and the operation is effectedby thesimple movement of the bolt by the iingers engaging the knob orotherwise, and the locking action is automatic when the parts arereturned to a normal engagement.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with the case and thelatch-bar having notches on opposite edges and an end projecting beyondthe notches, of a pair of pivoted tumblers standing in oppositedirections and having hook ends to engage the edge notches of thelatch-bar and side projections that extend toward each other and againstwhich the latch-bar acts to swing the tumblers and bring the hooks intoengagement with the latch-bar and a bolt adapted to pass between andhold the tumblers and lneans for moving the bolt, subsfantially as setforth.

2. The combination with the case andthe latch-bar, of pi voted tumblersstanding in opposite directions and having hook ends to engage thelatch-bar, and projections that eX- tend toward each other and againstwhich ihe latch-bar acts to swing the tumblers and bring the hooks intoengagement with the latch-bar, there being shoulders at the rear ends ofthe tumblers, a bolt and means for moving the same between the shouldersto hold the tumblers, substantially as set forth.

3. In a latch, the combination With an inclosing case, of tumblerspivoted in the case, each having a hook at the forward end, a bolt forholding the tumblers, and means for operating the same, .and a latch-barhaving edge notches with inclines to be engaged by the hook ends of thetumblers, the inclines acting when the tumblers are released and thelatch-bar is withdrawn to swing the pivoted tumblers out of the way,substantially as specified.

4f. In a latch, the combination with an inclosing case, of tumblers,each having a shoulder at one end and a hook at the other end, andpivoted in said case in opposite positions, a bolt adapted to engage theshoulders of the tu1nblers,a springfor moving the said bolt in onedirection, a knob to be engaged by thefingers for moving said bolt inthe opposite direction and a latch-bar having edge notches and inclinesadapted to be received between the hook ends of the tumblers and to beheld thereby when the bolt is in engagement with the shoulders of thetumblers or to be released and withdrawn from the tumblers with theretraction of the bolt, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a latch, the combination with an inclosing case, of tumblers, eachhaving a shoulder at one end and a hook at the other end and pivoted insaid case in opposite positions, a bolt adapted to engage the shouldersof the tumblers, a spring for moving the said bolt in one direction,means for moving the said bolt in the opposite direction and a latch-barhaving edge notches and inclines adapted to be received between the hookends of the tumblers and to be held thereby, the bolt holding thetumblers in either of their positions, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

Signed by me this 25th day of October, 1898.`

E. U. KINSEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, HAROLD SERRELL.

